Many of the Sector’s Shares Trade at Valuations Above Those of the Struggling Broader Market

For investors, health-care stocks are a panacea in good and bad times. After helping to lead the market higher in 2014, shares of pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have started off the new year avoiding much of the malaise afflicting other sectors.

The broader market has stumbled in the early days of the New Year, with the S&P 500 down 2.7%.